Many supervisors have a pretty good understanding how weather affects their region, but they do not have the final piece of information to glue it all together.

The session will begin with a detailed explanation of such weather concepts as surface maps, wind direction, and tracking low-pressure systems. Attendees will learn when it is the right time to look for this extra piece of information, and when to move on. These explanations will allow the attendee to monitor starting and ending times of winter events, and other key weather parameters.

The second portion of the session will focus on forecasting the weather. What are weather models and how do they impact forecasting? It will go through the basic process of how a forecast is created, identifying the key variables meteorologists are watching to give them clues as to when a forecast could have potential problems, and thus cause them problems. This session will take the next step in the understanding of weather information and meteorology that any attendee can follow. All while maintaining a focus on what maintenance professionals really have to time to view.

After viewing this program, participants will be better able to:

Improve their response time to weather events.

Increase their level in confidence in making decisions about the weather.

Adapt quicker to changing weather conditions and changing forecasts.

This program is free to members and costs $175 for non-members. Seating is limited.

This program has been approved for .2 CEUs or 2 PDHs. Please note there is a $5 fee per non-member individual requesting CEUs - there is no fee for members.

Speaker:

Jon Tarleton

Marketing Manager– Meteorologist VaisalaSaint Louis, MO

Jon Tarleton is the Roads Marketing Manager for Vaisala, and has spent 15 years in the transportation industry. Jon is a meteorologist and spent the first seven years of his career forecasting for Surface Systems’ Road Weather Information Systems (RWIS) clients across North America.

Over the years Jon has also been responsible for winter weather maintenance training and product development. Jon is currently responsible for all marketing activities related to Vaisala’s Road products and services worldwide. Jon serves on the APWA Winter Maintenance Sub-committee and was instrumental in the weather section of the Winter Maintenance Supervisor's Certificate Workshop. He is also active in ITS America. Jon obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Atmospheric Science from the University of Missouri – Columbia.

Speaker:

Moderator:Sara Croke

PresidentWeather or Not, Inc.

Sara Croke founded Weather or Not in 1986. Since then, they have been saving money and improving safety for municipalities, businesses, schools and airports. As the Midwest’s leading weather consulting firm, their meteorologists talk directly to public works directors and supervisors before they call out their crews or purchase weather affected materials.

In 1997, Weather or Not designed A+™ Weather Alerts, the first location based weather information alerting system in the country. Geo-fencing capabilities matched with various user thresholds, has made A+™ Weather Alerts software a uniquely dependable tool for their clients.

Throughout her career, in both broadcasting and private weather consulting, Croke has developed extensive experience in emergency preparedness and disaster recovery. Today, Croke uses her experience to share best practices and lessons learned, presenting information to groups ranging from local public works departments to national conferences. .

Consulting clients have relied on Weather or Not for assistance in disaster preparedness, planning, and specific timing for returning outdoors for disaster recovery. Common client operational challenges include tornadoes, severe thunderstorm, floods, snow and ice storms.